imo and the safety of fishing vessels: past, present and future

2. The document need not have the same depth of technical detail as the Voluntary Guidelines on all
subjects. Issues of interest to the target group, such as construction and stability, should receive more
extensive coverage.
3. The format of the document should follow the FAO/ILO/IMO Voluntary Guidelines for the Design,
Construction and Equipment of Small Fishing Vessels, 2005, in that the chapter/annex and subject
order are the same, and if necessary, with addition of chapter(s)/annexe(s) on topics not included in
the Voluntary Guidelines .
10.3.- On-going Task: the new SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR UNDECKED VESSELS OF LESS
THAN 12 METRES IN LENGTH AND UNDECKED VESSELS.
The IMO jointly with other UN Agencies such as the FAO and the ILO are currently developing new Safety
Recommendations for undecked vessels of less than 12 metres in length and undecked vessels in general.
As stated in the last IMO meeting regarding Stability, Load Lines and Fishing Vessels Safety, SLF 49, the new
initiative continues IMO efforts as follows:
After the adoption of the Torremolinos Protocol of 1993 relating to the Torremolinos International Convention
for the Safety of Fishing Vessels, 1977, the MSC undertook the review of the FAO/ILO/IMO Code of Safety for
Fishermen and Fishing Vessels, Part A and Part B. At the same time, it also decided to review the Voluntary
Guidelines for the Design, Construction and Equipment of Small Fishing Vessels. As part of the process of
raising the safety culture in the fishing vessel sector, the MSC directed the SLF to produce safety standards
for the smallest fishing vessels.
Consequently, the SLF sub-committee established a correspondence group to facilitate the revision of the
Code and Voluntary Guidelines and, following clearance by the relevant sub-committees of the IMO, the
revised text was submitted to the MSC at its seventy-ninth session (1 to 10 December 2004) at which it was
approved. At the twenty-sixth session of the Committee on Fisheries in March 2005, FAO welcomed the
revised Code and Voluntary Guidelines and recommended the early publication by IMO of these documents.
The Governing Body of the ILO approved the revised texts at its 79 th session in June 2005.
Having considered the relevant justification by the SLF Sub-committee, the MSC at its seventy-ninth session
agreed to include in the work programme of the Sub-Committee a new high priority item on “Safety of small
fishing vessels”. The aim being to develop safety recommendations for decked fishing vessels of less than
12m in length and undecked vessels of any length, bearing in mind that the largest majority of fishing fatalities
occur aboard such vessels.
The purpose of the safety recommendations is to provide guidelines to competent authorities for the design,
construction, equipment and training of the crew of small fishing vessels. Discretion should be exercised in
using provisions of the safety recommendations for the purpose of framing national safety requirements when
local weather and sea conditions and special operational requirements should be given particular
consideration. Furthermore, attention is drawn to Part A of the FAO/ILO/IMO Code of Safety for Fishermen
and Fishing Vessels, 2005, in particular Section 1 General and Section II Undecked vessels and decked
vessels of less than 12 metres in length.
The SLF Sub-Committee established a correspondence group to develop a consolidated draft text of the new
Safety recommendations.
The chapters and annexes of the future Safety Recommendations have been submitted as follows:
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